Annie Pankowski assisted on Team USA's first goal as Dana Trivigno lit the lamp to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead. Shlann Darkangelo added a goal in the second period for the U.S. before Turnbull cut the U.S. lead in half midway through the final period.

Canada's Emerance Maschmeyer took the loss in net as she saved 22 of the 24 shots she faced.

The two teams meet again on Friday in a 4 p.m. (CT) contest that can be seen on FastHockey.com.

It has been a long season for the Badgers in Madison, and although it didn't end
on the high we had hoped, I could not be more proud of my teammates. The
determination, hard work, and relentless spirit of my teammates propelled us to
successes many people doubted when we set out on our journey together last
September.

It is a bittersweet ending for many of my teammates, in large part the senior
class. While we are happy with our four years here at Wisconsin and looking
forward to bright futures, it is difficult to leave behind a team that has
meant so much to us over the years. The team this year has been like a family
on and off the ice. The spirit and kindness of every girl in our locker room
made packing our bags together one final time a difficult and emotional moment.

On behalf of my teammates I want to thank all the fans in Wisconsin and beyond
who have supported us throughout the season, and for the seniors throughout our
entire careers. It seems like just yesterday some of us were pulling on that
Badger jersey for the first time, and my hope is that the future Badgers
recognize the honor and pride that comes with bearing the motion W on their
chest--it truly goes by too fast.

While many memories have been created over the years, I will always remember
the pride that accompanies being part of such a rich and historic tradition as
a Badger athlete. The team was disappointed last weekend, but if I know
anything about my teammates, it is that they will never quit. The seniors are
moving on, but there is a fresh group of talent being added to the roster next
year and a solid core returning that will do whatever it takes to continue
bringing hardware back to Madison.

Lastly, I want to thank our families and all the people back home. I have said
it before, and sincerely mean it when I say that none of us would be where we
are today without the love and support of those who first gave us the chance to
chase our dreams. The coaches who pushed us when we were little and the parents
who drove us to the rink and waited for us until it was time to make the drive
back home are the reason we are where we are today. My parents said to me after
the last game, "Thank you for all the memories, it's been a great run." I want
to take this opportunity on behalf of my teammates to thank not only my
parents, but also all the other parents of my teammates who have made this
journey one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

It
has been a fun ride Badger fans, and while I am sad it is coming to an
end,
I look forward in the coming days or weeks to revealing the next blogger
for the Wisconsin women's hockey team. Until next time, thanks for
reading, and ON
WISCONSIN!

A big thank you to all those who came out and supported
us this past weekend as we battled Harvard in the NCAA quarter finals. The team
was blown away when we hit the ice for the start of the game and the crowd
erupted. The atmosphere and energy in the building was amazing and unlike
anything we have experienced yet in our new home and we are very grateful to
all those who helped us from the other side of the glass.

The team was very pleased with our effort Saturday night
and it was a special moment for the seniors to get a win in our final game on
home ice. This week is sure to fly by quickly as we will practice the next few
days and then head out early Wednesday for the Frozen Four. The team plans to
prepare for the upcoming weekend the same way we have all season, and is
excited for the opportunity to face off against Minnesota Friday night.

There are a number of banquets set to take place along
with a few other events, but the sole focus of our team is the game Saturday
night and working harder than we have all season to achieve our ultimate goal.
I am proud of my teammates for all the hard work that has been put in this
season. There were a lot of people who were skeptical about us being placed so
highly along the way, but we battled hard Saturday night, earning the right to
play this weekend and gaining confidence along the way.

The game Friday night is something we have looked forward
too all year, now the time has come to prepare and go to work. We are proud of
ourselves for reaching the tournament, but also recognize simply making the
trip is not the goal we set for ourselves last September.

I encourage all those who cannot make the trip to tune in
to the various outlets that will be available to act the action this weekend.
It is set to be some of the best collegiate hockey this season and will be
something hockey fans do not want to miss.

Again, my teammates and I want to thank all our fans and
the community for being supportive throughout the season, and on behalf of the
senior class, thank you to all those who have come out to cheer us on
throughout our Badger career. We have traveled all across the United States,
and there are no fans louder or more loyal than those who come out in Madison.
Thank you also to our families who have been supportive not only throughout
this season, but since day one, we share this journey with you! Be sure to
check back in throughout the week as I will have a few more posts and some
special interviews with teammates as we head out in search of our ultimate goal
at the 2014 Frozen Four! Until next time, thanks for reading, and ON
WISCONSIN!!

The time is here! Its playoffs, the best time of the season, and the team is more excited than ever to hit the ice tonight and get one game under our belt. I caught up with a few teammates about the game, getting their thoughts on heading into playoffs, and for freshman forward Sydney McKibbon, what her thoughts were heading into her first set of college playoffs ever.

"I wouldn't say that I'm nervous, but more anxious to get the games going. This is the best time of the year to be playing hockey," McKibbon said. "When you get into playoff time anything can happen and I think that's what makes it so exciting. Every team starts over again and no one is guaranteed anything. I am looking forward to the energy we are going to have in LaBahn this weekend with the band and all the fans."

Sophomore forward Erika Sowchuk also agreed about the exciting games heading into the weekend.

"I am looking forward to the intensity," Sowchuk said, "every game is a nail biter and every team is putting it all on the line. We need to compete for the whole game and show a lot of tenacity."

One final teammate I caught up with was Katy Josephs. A key right-winger on a line with Blayre Turnbull and Brittany Ammerman, who often goes unrecognized, is essential to the teams success this weekend, and she fully recognizes the effort that will be necessary for the team to advance to the WCHA playoffs.

"I am looking forward to seeing our tam give it all we've got," Josephs said. "Everyone knows that now it's do or die and the intensity of every game will go up for our team as well as for other teams. It's always fun to see what happens during playoffs because there will be teams that make it to tournaments that you don't expect. It makes for a fun and exciting couple of weeks."

The team can all agree on two things: the weekend will be full of intensity and nothing is guaranteed. The team knows that we need to bring 100% each night for 60 minutes in order to advance on in playoffs, and we need to focus on playing our game and doing the little things that have helped us to find success up to this point in the season.

"In order to be successful this weekend we need to play the way we've been playing all year," McKibbon said. "We need to come out fast to set the tone for the series this weekend and play a consistent 60 minutes. I think that if everyone plays their role and works hard we will be very successful."

Josephs agrees that we need to stick to our game and not worry ourselves with changing too much heading into the weekend.

"I think as a team we just have to keep doing what we have been all year which is playing and competing as hard as we can but also having fun doing it," Josephs said. "I think one of the biggest reasons we've been successful this year is because everyone looks forward to coming to the rink every day with a positive attitude. This results in a strong work ethic where everyone is pushing themselves to be better."

The team hits the ice tonight at 7 p.m. to face off for the first game of the series against Minnesota State. We hope to see all the fans out and cheering us to victory as we continue on our journey to the ultimate goal. If you like Badger Hockey, this will be a series you don't want to miss!

It has been a while since the last post, and a lot has
happened for the Badger squad. First, I would like to thank all those who came
out and supported the team as we played in front of 13,573 fans at Fill the
Bowl. It was a great experience to shatter the attendance record once again,
and it was an honor for the senior class to be able to do it in the Kohl Center
in front of our home fans where our journey began back four years ago.

Last weekend the team was in Mankato. There was a bad
storm that hit up in Minnesota Thursday afternoon, so we loaded the bus up late
Wednesday night and got in to Mankato at about 2 in the morning on Thursday.
The team was able to sleep in before we headed over as a group to Applebee's to
watch the USA and Canada Olympic Women's Hockey Gold Medal Game. There was
quite the tension between the Canadians and Americans around the tables, but it
was a hard fought game, and we are proud of all our Badger alumni regardless of
the outcome. It was a fun atmosphere and a great way to bond as a team. After
the game we made our way over to the rink for a practice, before returning back
to the hotel for dinner.

Friday morning the team woke up had a team skate and then
watched another battle between USA and Canada, this time it was the men's
hockey teams squaring off. Again, the Canadians were the happier group leaving
the room, but it was again a fun experience for the team. Our game that night
was a hard fought battle, and we came out on top 5-1. The team came out fast
and battled from the start and we were happy to get the first win on the road,
not to mention the two textbook breakaway goals back to back that were scored
by Blayre Turnbull (oh and both were short handed!).

Saturday morning we woke up and watched the men's bronze
medal game. After the game we got some coffee as a team, watched film to
improve from the night before. The team had one goal in mind, to finish the
regular season on a positive note, and we were successful getting a 3-1
victory. After the game we loaded up the bus and headed back to Madison, but
not before stopping off to grab some frozen yogurt. It is extremely rare for
the bus to stop for any reason, and the team was pumped when we pulled in to
the yogurt bar. After getting back to Madison around 10:30 p.m. we headed home
to get some much needed rest.

The team had a recovery day Sunday to get ready for the
upcoming stretch and we are excited for the journey that lies ahead. Monday was
the first practice of the post season, and the team was full of energy. The post
season is when the real excitement begins, and we are looking forward to
grinding it out in the hunt for the opportunity to play for a championship. The
post season starts this weekend as we host Minnesota State Friday night, and we hope
all those who can make it come out to support us. It should be a great
atmosphere and the team is feeling good about where we are and the potential we
have heading in to playoffs. Crazy things happen when playoffs come around, and
we are looking forward to playing our best hockey of the season when it matters
most.

Thank you to all those in Madison and back home who have
supported us up to this point in the journey! The team is getting ready for a
tough couple of weeks, and we are confident in our ability to compete amongst the
best teams in the country!

Check back in at the end of the week to get anticipations
from players about what to expect heading into playoffs, and how a few of the
freshmen plan to prepare for their first college playoff experience!

The time is here, and the team has never been more prepared than we are now to step up to the plate and take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The team has worked hard all week to study film, execute plays, and fine tune systems, but more importantly, we have been preparing all season to take on the number one ranked team in front of our home crowd. This is the biggest series of the season so far, and we are excited for the opportunity to play at home and finish the regular season off at home with two great games.

We have had a great week of practice, and everyone is feeling good heading into the weekend. The team is looking forward to the opportunity and know we are prepared to play the best six periods of hockey yet this year Friday and Saturday night.

When talking with junior forward Blayre Turnbull, she was excited, pumped up, but most of all focused heading into the weekend.

"There are a few things I am looking forward to this weekend," Turnbull said. "I always look forward to playing the Gophers, but this weekend is especially special since we will get to play in the Kohl Center (Saturday night) and hopefully break a record. Another thing I am looking forward to is having my family in town. There are few opportunities for them to get here throughout the season so it will be great to have them in the stands this weekend."

Sophomore power house defenseman Courtney Burke had similar emotions about the upcoming series.

"Just playing in a rivalry against Minnesota is always a game we get up for and it's even that the games are in front of all our friends and family," Burke said. "Both players, like most of the team, are looking forward to having friends and family here this weekend, but also recognize that what goes on inside the glass is our primary focus."

This weekend has a great deal of activity, from Senior Night Friday to Fill the Bowl Saturday, but the team knows what is most important is getting the much needed wins to make these moments that much more memorable.

"We need to focus on playing Badger hockey," Burke said. "Play the whole 60 minutes each night and out work the other team. Those are some of our strengths and we need to stick to them all weekend."

Turnbull could not agree more that hard work and sticking to what we have done all season is what will make the difference for us this weekend.

"For our team to be successful it is going to be super important to stick to our game," Turnbull said. "If we play well defensively like we have been lately, things will fall into place offensively." It is no secret that the Gophers have a number of threats offensively, but sticking to our game and taking care of our end will lead to opportunities for us to capitalize in the offensive zone.

This weekend is set to be the best series of the season. With both teams coming off long winning streaks, and the competitive nature of both squads, the games are sure to be a fast pace battle from start to finish. We are looking forward to the puck drop Friday night, and going to work as we battle the number one team in our own barn.

The puck drops Friday night at 7 p.m. and we hope to see all our fans out to cheer us on. For those who can't make the game Friday, be sure to clear your calendar for Saturday night 7 p.m. as we will play for the first time in two years in the Kohl Center, looking to break the NCAA attendance record for a third time! Come on out and cheer us to victory as we continue on our journey to the finish line this season!